Geo-environmental quality assessment in Jharia coalfield,India, using multivariate statistics and geographic information system

A study on geo-environmental quality assessment in Jharia coalfield, India, has been attempted using multivariate statistical analysis and geographic information system (GIS) modelling techniques. Water quality index, calculated for each sample network station in the study area to assess the suitability of water for human consumption, revealed very poor to poor quality surface water and mine water. Air quality indexing indicated that there is no sample station with clean air as per the Indian standards, which indicate the hazardous air quality. Multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), a potential GIS tool, has been applied to the delineation of various degrees of stressed villages in terms of quality of life (QoL). The role of various geo-environmental parameters such as quality of groundwater, surface water, mine water and air together with village population densities has been emphasized for delineation of the environmentally stressed villages in Jharia coalfield. The integrated cluster analysis and MCE approach provide an improved means to geo-environmental quality assessment in Jharia coalfield in terms of QoL. The assessment study is aimed to be used for future coal mining, ensuring ecologically sustainable industrial development, particularly in a coalfield.